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Tactile maps are important tools for people with visual impairments (VIs). Teachers and orientation and mobility (O&M) specialists often design tactile maps to help their VI students and clients learn about geographic areas. To design these maps, a designer must use modeling software applications, which require professional training and rely on visual feedback. However, most teachers and O&M specialists do not have professional modeling skills, and many have visual impairments. The complexity and inaccessibility of current modeling tools thus become major barriers for TVIs and O&M specialists when designing tactile maps. We present Molder, an accessible design tool for tactile maps. A designer creates a draft map model using Molder and prints the model. Then, she uses Molder to modify the draft model by directly interacting with it. Molder provides auditory feedback and high-contrast visuals to assist the designer in the design process. 

Students with visual impairments struggle to learn various concepts in the academic curriculum because diagrams, images, and other visual are not accessible to them. To address this, researchers have design interactive 3D printed models (I3Ms) that provide audio descriptions when a user touches components of a model. In prior work, I3Ms were designed on an ad hoc basis, and it is currently unknown what general guidelines produce effective I3M designs. To address this gap, we conducted two studies with Teachers of the Visually Impaired (TVIs). First, we led two design workshops with 35 TVIs, who modified sample models and added interactive elements to them. Second, we worked with three TVIs to design three I3Ms in an iterative instructional design process. At the end of this process, the TVIs used the I3Ms we designed to teach their students. We conclude that I3Ms should (1) have effective tactile features (e.g., distinctive patterns between components), (2) contain both auditory and visual content (e.g., explanatory animations), and (3) consider pedagogical methods (e.g., overview before details).